


Forgotten

by GayAndNaps



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, I got the idea from a dream tbh, Josie is forgotten au, Minor Angst, Sad, Soulmates AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:34:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21683038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayAndNaps/pseuds/GayAndNaps
Summary: Josie, once again, could not go against her impulses, she had to be selfless, she had to put herself second in order to save everyone.OrWhat would have happened if Josie was the one who jumped in Malivore instead of Hope ?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Lizzie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 76
Kudos: 461





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea from a dream I had and I just had to write it so here you go :)

Josie woke up in a dark room, or a dark cave, everything was so cold here. It took her a moment but then it hit her. She perfectly knew where she was.

A pit. A hellish pit named Malivore.

At the time jumping in there had seemed like a good idea, but by the looks of it she had done that for nothing. That damn mud pit was still standing, or whatever it is that mud pits do.

She recalled arriving in Triad Industries and finding Hope and Landon both knocked out, she recalled her and her sister being just on time to avoid Malivore’s return.

Her strategy might have been rushed and foolish, but it was all they had and she could not stop herself from being her selfless self… She simply could not bear seeing her sister and her friends hurt. So, after doing the math, she remembered Hope’s blood was the key to fight Malivore.

Hope’s blood saved her life not even an hour ago.

She had Hope’s blood in her system and Malivore was waking up.

After putting her sister to sleep with a spell, she called MG and asked him to burn all her stuff, all the things that could remind them of her once she would be gone, and with her, Malivore.

So, here she was. Alone. Forgotten. And cold… She soon realized the coldness came from all this emptiness that surrounded her.

Maybe her plan had failed because she was not Hope, maybe it had failed because Hope was not a full tribrid yet, maybe it had failed because she was wrong… Who knew ? And frankly, who cared ? It was too late. She was already in there anyway, thinking about it would not save her. Thinking was all that was left for her here, though.

* * *

It had been some time since she woke up now. Days ? Months ? It was impossible to tell. From time to time she was able to feel a slight stomach ache or a feeling of happiness and it would immediately put a smile on her face. It meant Lizzie was still out there, living her life. It was all that mattered in the end. Her sister was safe.

Sometimes she would catch herself thinking of Penelope too. At first, by habits, she would try to refrain this feeling, but after some time, she realized she was all alone in there and it would not matter that she was still madly in love with her ex who had left for Belgium. At least she knew now that one of them would be able to move on.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a bright white light that started to pull her towards its center. She tried to run from it at first but then she got a feeling that maybe it was a good thing so she stopped fighting it and let go.

* * *

She opened her eyes, only to be blinded with bright sunlight. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin again. It probably was the happiest she had felt in… a while.

She suddenly realized she was in the middle of Mystic Falls, but she had no idea what the date was. What time ? What month ? What year, even ?

Besides, where would she go ? She was finally free but she was all alone in this world now. She had no home. No friends. No family.

Her first instinct was to go back to the Salvatore School, even if she knew it was a long shot, it was still what she knew best and right now, she needed to see something familiar.

* * *

By the looks of it, she arrived just on time. It was apparently the beginning of a new school year and she was relieved to see things had not changed much. Pedro, whom she could spot from afar, was still short. MG and Kaleb were goofing around at the front door while Hope and Lizzie were bickering, as usual.

Everyone was here, and everyone was safe. It was all that mattered.

She was torn between joining in and introducing herself or just leave and let them be but her intern dilemma was cut short. Someone konked from behind her, and only then did she realize she was blocking the way for cars to enter the school.

She moved to let them drive and she could not help but look to see who was in that ridiculously expensive car. It drove by too fast for her to really see inside but she was convinced she had just seen… No. It could not be. She had left for Belgium months ago now.

" Hey ! Are you coming in or standing at the front door is just your way to pass the time ? "

Josie froze.

It was the first time someone had talked to her in months, from what it looked like. What was even more shoking was that this person was her twin sister. She turned around and saw the blonde standing just a few feet away from her, only this time, there was absolutely no consideration for her in her eyes, she looked at her like she looked at every stranger, with an hint of disdain, probably because Lizzie hated it when people were lost in there thoughts or slow and indecisive. And Josie was all of those things at the moment. She was confused as wether she should go in and act like a stranger or watch them from afar.

Josie tried to respond but she was shocked. She had thought about how it would go once she was outside of Malivore but experiencing it was a whole other thing.

" Babe, don’t scare her off. She is ovbiously new and lost. ", Hope said while approaching them. When she reached them, she immediately linked her arm with Lizzie.

" Babe ?? ", was all Josie could say.

" Yeah. Is there a problem with that ? ", Lizzie spat harshly. She was already ready to throw hands.

" What ?? Oh no ! Not at all. I just didn’t kn- realized you two were a thing. ", she stopped herself right on time.

" Well maybe that’s because you've just arrived here ? ", Hope told her jokingly, she was obviously trying to calm the tension between the two girls, " What’s your name by the way ? I’m Hope and this is Lizzie. "

" Uh… Josie, nice to meet you both. ", it was more painful to say than what she made it look like.

" Well Josie, it’s apleasure to meet you. How about we get inside and Lizzie and I can give you a proper tour. "

" Sure… ", she knew there would be no going back from that but how could she refuse ?

* * *

She was glad to see that Hope was much more opened to others now, you could feel the change. She seemed happy, really happy. It made Josie feel like her sacrifice had not been in vain. Everyone felt safe now and, on the bright side, her family didn’t know she was gone so they were not suffering. Only she was, but it was worth it. Seeing the people she loved being happy was the only thing that mattered to her. It had always been.

On the other side, Lizzie seemed much less happy. She kept sending her daggers. She knew her sister was the jealous type and considering how they ‘met’, seeing Hope being so friendly to her should not be the most pleasing thing to her. It was just funny to Josie. She got to see her sister being her natural extra self again, her only concern being some jealousy over a girl and not a gargoyle almost killing her.

Everyone had moved on from that chapter and it was for the best. No one knew Malivore was still alive but it was an issue she would have to face on her own. At least, she had not seen any monsters attacking the school.

" So, what do you say you were again ? Like, supertnaturally speaking I mean. ", Hope asked while they finished their tour.

" Oh, right, sorry. I’m a witch. Well, a siphoner to be exact. "

" Oh really ? And where are you from ? ", Lizzie challenged.

" Huh… I travelled a lot with my mom but I’m coming from a small coven in France where most witches are siphons. "

" Never heard of it… But I’m a siphoner too. I come from the gemini coven. It’s quite famous around here. ", she tried to brag.

Josie was amused by that, but she did not show it. She did not want Lizzie to consider her her enemy.

" That’s great ! It’s pretty rare and I’ve never met another one, maybe you could show me a few tricks one of these days ? ", the brunette tried the inoffensive approach so Lizzie would give up whatever competition Josie knew she already had in mind.

" Huh… sure. "

" What about you Hope ? "

" Oh, me ? I’m a tribrid. The only one of my kind. "

" That means you’re a werewolf, vampire AND a witch ? "

" Yup… Although I did not trigger my vampire side yet. "

" That is really cool… So you guys are like the power couple of the school, huh ? ", she knew it would flatter her sister’s ego, and by the look of the smirk forming on the blonde’s lips, she was absolutely right.

Hope just laughed it off, " I guess you could say that… ", then, she paused. "Oh and I almost forgot ! Here are the keys to your room. Since you only applied today, we had to assign you a roommate, I hope it’s alright with you ? "

" Thank you, and it’s totally fine ! "

" You’ll see, she is really nice behind her heiress of a good fortune ai- "

" Just watch out for your soul. She might wanna try to steal it at some point. ", Lizzie cut her off.

" Lizzie ! I thought you and Penelope had stopped this pointless war. "

Josie felt like she was going to be sick. What the hell was Penelope Park doing here ? And why on earth was she her roommate ? Of all people, it had to be her.

" PeNeLOpE ?? ", Josie could not stop herself.

" Yeah, Penelope Park, or Satan, whatever. Do you know her ? "

Crap. What was she supposed to say to that.

" Huh… I mean, everyone does. She comes from one of the most famous coven in the witch comunity. "

" Yeah… But she is not as pretentious as the rest of her coven. Her girlfriend on the other hand… ", Hope explained.

Josie could not believe what she had just heard. Or at least, she did not want to.

" Lucky for you, Paige doesn’t have a rommate so I guess you’ll have some peace. "

" That’s… great. ", she managed to say, weakly. She had only been there for an hour, and she already regretted Malivore. Sure, she was happy everyone was doing so well, really well even, but it was still hurting. She had spent months trying to convince herself she had done the right thing, that she was happy for them. But deep down, maybe she was not entirely. She hated herself for missing those moments and she hated that everyone was doing better without her.

" You alright ? ", Hope asked her.

" Yeah.. I think I just need to go lie down a little. I had a long day. "

" I see, it can all be a little overwhelming, but you’ll get used to it. You’ll see. We are like a big family here. ", Hope told her.

Of course, Josie knew all of that. She was the one that used to say those things.

" Thanks… ", she forced a weak smile and went to her room. She did not even pretend to be lost, she just needed to lay down. On a real bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you find this so far ? If I get more than two comments I'll update in a week or less... Jk I'll do that anyway but tell me how you feel about this first chapter or what you think will happen next !


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, already... Maybe I have no self control/notion of space and time

Arriving in her room, she spotted some luggage on the right side of the room. Penelope had already chosen her bed. It was fine, though. She was only interested in lying in a bed, and nap. Or waiting for sweet relief of death. Maybe both.

She had started her day as a hero, ready to do the right thing in the shadows, but now she realized that all she was really was a scared, lonely teenager who just really needed a hug. She wondered how Penelope had been capable of hiding the merge from her. How she would just wake up and go on her day with such a secret, doing everything to save her while being so hated by the girl she loved. Well, there was no use of dwelling on the past now. The girl she was thinking about did not even know she existed, and most importantly, she had moved on. Which was good. It had to be.

Being in Malivore allowed her to do plenty of thinking, but one of the main topic she got to think about was the raven haired girl. How ironic was it that she had only realized how deeply she loved her, even after all this time, when she thought she would die in that pit ?

Because, yes, Josie had not planned on going back. She thought her action would destroy Malivore, and her with it. But here she was, alive, alone, forgotten. The worse part was that the pit was still there too. She sacrificed herself for nothing and having to live at the school was apparently her punishment.

With those thoughts, she fell asleep. A well deserved nap that lasted no less than 4 hours.

* * *

She was woken up by a very loud giggling. It was infuriating, she did not know if it was because she had just woken up or because it truly was but right now, she hated it.

Josie emerged from under the covers to be faced with a tall, blonde girl. She had curly hair and she seemed… Somewhat arrogant. Although with that body, Josie would probably be too.

"… Alright babe, I gotta hang up now, I just arrived in Penelope’s room. ", she paused, " No she’s not here yet but you know we have to be descreet now that I’m with her. ", she paused again, " Yeah, I love you too, bye. "

She had not spotted Josie yet, but the brunette had heard everything. She could not believe it. This girl was lucky enough to date Penelope freaking Park and she was cheating on her ?

She pretended to still be asleep so the girl would not be suspicious. From what she had heard, she came from a famous line of witches and it was best not to mess with her, she had not the energy to anyway. Even if right now, Josie wanted to set her on fire. Literally.

She feigned to stretch to let the stranger know she was not alone in her room.

She heard her gasp, and it made her smile a little.

" Oh, hi. You must be Penny’s rommate. I’m Paige, her girlfriend. Nice to meet you ! ", she introduced herself rather arrogantly while approaching while holding out her hand for Josie to shake. She wondered if Penelope really let the blonde call her 'Penny', she had always hated it.

Josie considered ignoring her but her hand moved faster, so she shook it. She reminded herself to wash it later, though.

If there was one thing Josie could not stand, it was cheaters. The fact that she was in love with Penelope was a bonus.

" I’m Josie. ", she faked a smile.

" Have you seen Penelope ? We were supposed to meet here 10 minutes ago… "

" No… Sorry. ", she was not, " I fell asleep like 4 hours ago and I just woke up. "

" I see… Big day, huh ? Is it your first year here ? ", she asked.

" Hum, yeah. Yeah it is. "

" No way ! That’s so cool ! It’s mine too ! We should hang out some time. A bunch of newbies discovering this place, you know ? ", she smiled brightly, very, very brightly. Almost as if it was fake. It probably was for all Josie knew, but she played along. She figured she could learn more about Penelope that way. For example, why the hell was she not in Belgium ?

" Is Penelope new too ? "

" Oh no, she studied there for a couple of years before leaving last year. We met in Belgium, she moved there with her mom. "

" And what made you two come here ? ", Paige did not notice how this discussion had turned into an interview, but Josie was determined to get her answers.

" My parents got some job offers, and we had wanted to come back to the US for some time so here we are ! And for Penelope, I don’t really know… I guess she loves me that much ! ", she the proceded to let out the most annoying giggle Josie had ever heard.

She had just thrown the ‘L’ word like that. Had Penelope already told her she loved her ? It took Josie an entire year, a few more months of breakup and a dramatic, heartbreaking goodbye moment to hear it.

She felt as if she might start crying until she heard a small knock on the door.

There she was. She had not changed a bit. She was still so… herself. She wore a bright smile and most importantly, Josie noticed she still had that killer lob she was responsible for.

" Hi babe. ", she smiled.

" Hey ! ", Josie and Paige both said.

Oops. Old habits die hard.

She put her hands to her mouth and apologized when she realized what she just did, or said.

Thankfully, Penelope just chuckled at her awkwardness. God, she had missed that laugh.

" Hey, you’re Josie right ? I’m Penelope, nice to meet you. ", she gave her her hand to shake.

Josie took it without hesitation. Their hands fell so naturally into each other, but the brunette stopped herself from thinking too hard about it. She could not make another mistake.

" Huh, yeah that’s right. Nice to meet you too ! "

Paige then turned to Penelope, " Well, babe, we better go if we want a good table. "

" Huh, yeah you’re right. ", she shot a last look at Josie before turning back, but just before going through the door she turned again, " Hey, you’re new right ? You wanna join us ? If you have any questions I can maybe answer them. ", she offered.

Penelope had always been like that, with her at least, under her local popular girl airs. But now, it seemed like she allowed herself to show it more. Maybe forgetting Josie relieved her of a weight. Maybe she was better off without her.

She could not stop all those theories running through her head but at least she was relieved to see that her so called girlfriend did not influence her into her old habits.

" No, I’m supposed to meet with other people I met earlier today… But thank you, though. ", that was a lie, obviously, but she would not stand there and watch them being all ‘cute’ and giggly, she would rather go back to Malivore than being their third wheel.

" Alright, see you later then ! "

" Yeah, bye. ", she let out a sigh of relief when they left. She really should have taken that nap before making rushed decisions, like coming back to a home that was not hers anymore, with a family that did not remember her and an ex that… She preferred not to think about that again.

It was all too much.

But now she was trapped. She needed to put on a brave face and join the others downstairs. She was famished, and waiting to sneak in the kitchen to get a sandwich was not an option.

Before going, she changed into cleaner outfits. She was glad she was at a boarding school with an uniform, because she had no money to buy any new clothes.

Weirdly enough, she felt good putting on her skirt and shirt. For a second, it was as if nothing had changed. As if it was just another normal day at the Salvatore Boarding School. She knew it would not last long but she took all the comfort she could get, it was something rare these days.

* * *

She arrived downstairs around 8pm, people were still eating dinner so she figured she would sat wherever people would let her.

Her search did not last long, however, she saw from afar Hope waving at her. She was sitting with her ‘avenger’ squad as she called it. Lizzie was next to her, they really did make a cute couple, she thought.

She approached them reluctantely. So much for avoiding her ancient life, she thought. She was aware that this entire school represented her ancient life, but there was a difference between studying here and avoiding everyone and literally dinning with her old friends and sharing a room with her ex.

" Hey ! How was that nap ? ", Hope asked.

" It was… Good. Thanks. ", she chuckled awkwardly.

" Oh, right I forgot to introduce you, sorry. ", she turned to the rest of the table, " Guys, this is Josie, she is new here so.. Be nice, I guess. "

‘ I guess’, yeah that was more like the Hope she knew. Humans interractions were not really her thing, but she was glad to see her try. She waved at everyone and they all smiled in return.

" Josie, this is Rafael, MG, Landon, Kaleb, Maya and you already know Lizzie. ", she had no idea how right she was. But, she realized Maya was a new addition to their little group. She seemed nice though, maybe with a new face here this would not be too hard.

" Maya is new too and if I recall correctly you share some classes so you guys can help each other. ", Hope finally added.

Maya and Josie just shot small smile at each other.

" Too bad you missed my mom’s speech, though. ", Lizzie declared. Apparently, she was still not really warming up to Josie after all.

" Your mom ?? ", was all Josie could ask.

" Yeah, she is the headmistress of this school. It used to be my dad but since my mom finally came back from her recruitment missions, they decided that she would take care of the school for the year and my dad would take a little break after… Last year... " , after the incident from last year, rather. She decided she would not push Lizzie into telling her, she already knew the story anyway. She was there when it happened, after all.

What was really shocking to her was that Caroline, her mom, was there. She had missed her so much after all this time being appart and she could not even go and hug her. This. This was the real torture.

She was not ready to see the woman who raised her, who protected her, who loved her all these years look right through her as if she was a stranger. She did not know if she could handle that.

" But don’t worry, even if you missed her speech, she’ll do it all over again when you'll meet with her tomorrow. ", MG spoke to her for the first time.

" What ? "

" Yeah, it sorta is a tradition here. Since we’re a big family, as Miss Forbes calls it, every new student has to meet with the headmaster. But don’t worry, it’s just to get to know you a little more. ", MG continued.

" Oh, alright. I see.. ", she completely forgot about that meeting. Since she was the headmasters’ daughter, she never had to do it. But now it was different. Now she was just a random new student that had nowhere else to go.

The rest of the meal was calmer, everyone wanted to get to know her and Maya. It was quite obvious that Rafael had his views set on Maya even if she did not seem too interested in him… in Hope on the other side, that was another story. The poor girl better be careful, Lizzie had spotted her staring at Hope and she did not seem pleased at all with it.

After a while, everyone left to go back to their room. Tomorrow they would have their first classes and they started early in the morning.

* * *

Josie came home to an empty room. At least, she got to finally be alone.

She used to hate the loneliness she had felt in Malivore but here, it as even worse. She was a spectator of everyone’s lives, without playing a part in it, a real part at least. She was no one. No one that mattered at least.

On the other hand, not having Penelope in the room meant that she was with Paige, probably in her room, to be alone. Together…

She really tried not to think about it but it was stronger than her, she would probably have to spend the entire year ass the third wheel of that couple. If she decided to stay, of course.

That night, Josie could not sleep at all. There were too much stuff going through her mind and they would not stop. She had been trapped with her mind for so long that it soon became the loudest thing she could hear. Even today, when she was talking to people, her thoughts could not shut up. It was getting exhausting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone, I hope you liked that second chapter. The feedback on the first one was really good so thank you all so much for reading this, I hope you enjoyed that second chapter as much as the first one :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy ;)

Josie was called to the principal’s office right after breakfast, she figured her mom did not want her to miss her first classes. She bumped into Maya when she arrived.

" Oh hey ! You got called too ? "

" Yeah. "

" I just saw her, you’ll see it’ll go just fine. Miss Forbes is really nice ! ", Maya tried to reassure her. Josie thought it was sweet, even though it did not work a lot. Of course she was nice. Caroline was the best person Josie knew.

" Thank you…"

" Oh do you have history right after ? "

" Yeah, I think so. You too ? "

" Yup. I’ll save you a seat in the classroom ! ", she said while leaving.

For the first time in a long time, she genuinely smiled. She felt like Maya would be a refreshing addition to her personnal hell.

" Josie ? ", someone asked from behind her.

" Mom ? ", she turned expectentely. She was met with an amused Caroline, and it hit her. Right now, it was not her mom, it was just the headmistress of her ‘new’ school. " Huh, I mean, Miss Forbes… Sorry. "

" Don’t be, you’re not the first student to call a teacher ‘mom’. ", she reassured her. " Let’s go in, shall we ? "

Josie followed her in her office, nothing had changed here, besides some plants that enlighted the room.

" You can sit down, you know ? ", Caroline offered after seeing Josie so caught in her thoughts.

" Right… Sorry. ", she sat down on the chair Caroline had showed her.

" You don’t have to say sorry for anything you know ? Everything is fine, you don't have to apologize so much. "

" Yeah, I know, I’ve been told that a lot by my mother but it's an habit at this point... "

" She must be a wise woman. "

You have no idea, the brunette thought.

" So… Josette Smith, huh ? ", Caroline clearly doubted that the last name was real but she did not mention it. Josie was not the first student coming here to escape from something, or someone, and Caroline respected that.

" Yes, but call me Josie, please. "

" Yes, that's what the girls told me. ", she mentionned Lizzie and Hope, " And you’re from, Josie ? "

" France, although I travelled a lot with my mom. ", she had picked France because she had always liked the country, and she had loved to visit it with Caroline and Lizzie last year, it reminded her of better times in a way.

" I see… And Lizzie told me you were not a simple witch, you’re a siphon ? That’s pretty rare. "

" Yeah I know, that’s why I was glad to learn that your daughter was one too. Maybe she’ll be able to teach me a thing or two about being a siphon. "

" Well, Lizzie has never been one to study a lot… Even if she is pretty talented. And I swear I’m not saying that because she is my only daughter. ", the blonde joked.

Josie laughed politely and the conversation just kept going. Caroline only asked her basic things to try to get to know her a little better and Josie tried to be as evasive as possible without drawing too much attention. In the end, Caroline seemed to be pleased with the answers she gave her and she let her go just a little before the bell indicating the first class rang.

When, she got out of the office, however, Josie did not go to her classroom, instead she went to the nearest bathroom.

Once she was there, after checking if it was empty, she locked herself in one of the stall and completely broke down. She did not even know exactly why she was crying, she just did it.

There were so many reasons why she could cry but none of them were as strong asthe fact that her own mother did not recognize her. At the same time, her twin sister treating her like the stranger she thought she was was a hard one too. And let us not forget that fact that she now shared a room with her ex, whom she was still in love with, and who spent all of her time with an infuriating girlfriend that apparently cheated on her.

So, she cried. She let it all out.

* * *

After she was done, she whipped her tears and stayed in there for a little more time.

When she finally decided to come out, she did not expect a certain raven haired girl to be there. Penelope had her hands on the sink, she was watching her reflexion with a serious face on, she seemed troubled and in deep reflection, and Josie coming out clearly starteled her.

" Oh, shit I’m sorry ! ", Josie spoke first.

" No, don’t be. It’s my fault I shouldn’t have come here anyway, I have class… ", Penelope sighed and made her way to the door.

Josie saw something was not right with her, she did not know if it was her place to ask right now but they were alone in there and she could not stop herself.

" Wait ! ", she called to stop her, "Are you alright ? "

" No… Not really. ", she smiled at her weakly. " You ? "

" Not really. ", she returned the smile. Her eyes still puffy from crying.

Penelope let out a loud sigh before letting her body fall against the bathroom wall, the brunette sat beside her.

They stayed there in silence for a while until Penelope spoke again.

" Do you ever feel like you’re all alone in this world ? "

Josie let out a chuckle, you could clearly tell it was not because she found that funny but rather ironic, " You have no idea… But you and your girlfriend seemed happy together yesterday ? "

" Yeah… We seemed happy. That's the whole point. It’s all just a façade orchestrated by our parents... I mean, she is gorgeous and the time we spend together is not that bad but we both know it’s not real. "

" Oh… "

" I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spilled everything to you like that. You must think I’m just another rich girl complaining about her perfect life… ", she hid her face in her hands as if she was ashamed. It was not unusual for her to hear Penelope complain about her life, but she knew she was not the kind to just break down in front of people she had just met.

Unlike what she had originally thought, the raven haired girl was far from being alright and she just wanted to hold her, to tell her that she was here and that it would be okay. She wanted to, but she could not. Not when she was just the roommate she had just met.

" No… I would never. Everyone has their own struggle and I would be a hypocrite if I judged you. You are allowed to feel down once in a while. Even if you’re just another rich girl. ", she chuckled in the end.

Penelope turned to look at her. She took a moment to stare at the brunette’s face, almost as if she had recoognized something, something from a past life maybe.

" What about you ? What brought you into this fine bathroom stall ? ", she finally asked.

" It’s complicated… "

" I mean… It’s not like I have planned to go anywhere any time soon… ", Penelope told her while smirking.

Josie smiled at her, she had not changed at all. Her charms really worked on Josie and it looked like she knew it, like she remembered it somehow, and although that smirk was just an innocent one, Josie could not resist it, it still held an hint of mischief. That same hint of mischief that used to drive her insane at times she was mad at her, or completely under her spell at times Penelope flirted with her.

" I thought you had classes to go ? "

" Maybe... But I have a feeling your thing is way more interesting than Dorian's latin class. "

Josie rested her head against the wall.

" Let’s just say I have lost my family not too long ago and it still hurts sometimes… ", she sighed.

" Oh shit, I’m sorry for asking… ", the raven haired girl had completely switched her behavior. She had not realized how serious the situation was and she was now embarrassed for even asking, let alone complaining about her 'arranged relationship'.

" It’s fine, don’t worry they’re not dead or anything, they’re just… Gone. "

Penelope seemed confused, but you could feel she was still relieved. " Don’t they have a phone or something ? Have you tried geolocalisation ? Or a locating spell ? I could help you if you need it. ", she offered. Josie was touched by the efforts the girl was clearly making to help her, even though they were useless.

" They’re not… Lost like that. I told you it was complicated but it’s fine, I’ll find a way to bring them back. "

" Do you need any help ? If it’s related to magic maybe my family could help ? Well not my parents because they’re… My parents. But my aunt would help me in a heartbeat if I asked her to ! "

" Huh, no. No, it’s alright, I told you I will handle it. But thank you for proposing. ", she suddenly got up. Their moment was over and she needed to distance herself from the girl or else she would admit everything, or cry again. Maybe both.

Seeing Penelope so determined to help her solve a problem she did not even know involved her had been hard for Josie to watch. She knew the girl only wanted to help but her presence alone was hurtful to the brunette. After all they had been through, speaking to her so causually was torture because she knew it would have never happened with her Penelope. The one that kept fighting for her, over and over again and that she kept pushing away in fear of being hurt. She had realized her mistake too late, way too late and now she just had to live with it and let Penelope be happy on her own. Not that her current situation seemed perfect, but she knew Penelope would figure a way out. She always did.

" … I really appreciated it. ", she said before leaving her for good.

Penelope just sat there, confused and clueless about what she did to make her run away.

* * *

At lunch, Josie joined a lonely Maya at a table, she was met with confused eyes.

" Did you get lost or something ? "

" I had to go deal with some stuff… I’m really sorry if I made you wait ! ", she immediatley apologized. She had completely forgot about Maya, which she could not do. At the moment, Maya was the only way for her to ave a ‘normal’ friendship.

" It’s alright, don’t stress about it but you have to promise to not leave me alone like that again. I was stuck next to that Paige girl, she was really… Something else… ", Josie perfectly knew what she meant even if she would never actually said it.

" Oh shit ! I met her too yesterday and yeah… I’m sorry you had to stay with her for THAT long. "

" It’s alright, I’ve seen much worse, believe me. But I’d rather hang out with you. "

The brunette really liked Maya’s enthusiasm, she had not even knew the girl for more than 24 hours but her personnality was just so warm, you could not fight it. Something in Maya just drew people in.

" Yeah me too. ", she smiled back at the girl.

The both of them just kept chatting during their lunch. Josie was really thankful for Maya, she had just made her day a little less terrible, which she had not thought was possible.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully, she saw Lizzie and Hope a couple of times and they agreed to meet at lunch the day after, not for dinner though because it was ‘date night’.

When Lizzie had announced it so proudly, Josie had to keep herself from snickering. She knew Lizzie had the night entirely planned from the time they would leave to the dish they would eat. Maybe she would have dared to say something in response if it had not been for Lizzie looking at her like that.

Turns out that when they were not sister, to her knowledge at least, Lizzie was not Josie’s biggest fan. Not at all even.

* * *

Her afternoon may had been uneventful, but the same could not be said for her evening. When she walked toward her room, she heard a violent fight coming from it. Well, rather Paige’s voice raising and only what she could assume Penelope enduring it.

She figured she had had enough drama for the day, and with the way she had left things with the raven haired girl earlier, it was best if she waited outside. She decided to go for a walk.

The air outside was a little fresh, but it was still enjoyable. Her feet lead her uncounsciously to the old mill.

She remembered how this used to be her and Penelope’s spot, not the entire mill but this special space in the attic, when they wanted to avoid Lizzie or her dad. They would go there to cuddle or watch movies, the wifi reception was not great but they made it work.

It used to be their spot.

The stars were really bright in the sky that night so she sat on the stairs at the entrance to watch them. Everything seemed so peaceful from where she was. It was just her and the infinity of the universe.

Someone caughed behind her just at that moment, so technically it was just her, the infinty of the universe and, she turned to see who was this uninvited guest.

To her surprise, Landon was standing there.

" Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. ", he apologized after making her jump from her seat.

" It’s alright. ", she said, clearly still recovering from the scare.

" Josie right ? I'm Landon, we met yesterday. "

She smiled at the boy’s awkwardness, it was maybe the only one in the entire school capable of matching her own.

" Yeah, I remember. "

" Do you mind if I sit there ? ", he asked, pointing the spot next to Josie’s.

" No, not at all, go ahead. "

Josie did not really know why he would sit down next to her but she never really spoke to the guy so, to be fair, she did not know a lot about him to begin with.

" Rough first day, huh ? "

" You could say that… "

" Mine was not that great either, I even got thrown in one of those wolves’ cells… ", he chuckled at the memory.

Josie remembered that, of course, she was the one who got him out of it. It had been rough, literally, but still, it was something.

These memories seemed from another life now.

They were from another life. A life she was the only one to remember.

" It makes me feel a little better about mine, thanks. ", she said still chuckling.

" Yeah, it was not my best day here, that’s for sure. But to their defence, they did not know I was a phoenix yet. That’s one of the perks of the son of a giant mud pit I guess… "

Josie could really see why Lizzie kept making fun of him, the boy was a ball of awkwardness, but there was something cute about it so she did not mind. At least, he was honest about who he was. Unlike her.

" So I’ve heard… "

" Anyway… Enough about me. Tell me about you. What made you come here on this chilly night ? "

" I couldn’t go in my room… Literally. But it’s alright, I needed fresh air anyway. ", she simply said.

" Oh yeah, you’re Penelope’s roommate right ? I think the entire floor heard that fight ! ", he joked.

" Yeah… "

" No one really knows what they’re doing together to be honest. They’re so… ", he started.

" Different. "

" Yeah. Although being different is not inherently a bad thing, look at Hope and Lizzie, they’re defferent too but you can feel they belong together, right ? But with them you can feel they’re not made for eachother… Paige is not only annoying, she can be a real bitch too. "

Josie looked at him strangely, she knew she had missed some things but she did not think Landon would be so supporting of Hope and Lizzie's relationship.

" I’ve heard you two used to date, yet you seem so… Fine with her and Lizzie ? "

" I will always love Hope, and I want what’s best for her. It turns out that we were not working as a couple. They are though, surprisingly well, even. And she’s still one of my best friends… Besides, we all know Lizzie would kill me if I tried to get back with Hope, or hurt her, which I would never do of course. ", he laughed.

" Yeah she seems a little protective. ", she knew Lizzie was super protective with the ones she loved, even if she did not like to show it. How many times had she tried to protect Josie when they grew up ?

" A little, yeah. ", he chuckled.

" It looks like she doesn’t like me very much… ", Josie admitted with a long sigh. Even if she knew she could not have her twin back, not like she would want to at least, she still hoped for a semblance of frienship with her.

" She didn’t like me either at first, she’ll come around eventually… She did for me. I think… "

" I hope so… "

" Yeah It would be too bad for the only two siphoners at school to not like each other, especially since you seem pretty cool. "

" Yeah, it would suck… ", she started to get up. They had stayed here to talk for a while now and she really needed a good night of sleep after the day she had had. " I should go, but thanks Landon. I think you’re pretty cool too. ", she smiled kindly at him before leaving.

* * *

Back at her room, Josie was all alone, she figured the couple was back at Paige’s room, or maybe they had both killed eachother. It was none of her business anyway, but she was glad Penelope was not here.

Deep down though, she hoped they had broken up, because seeing the blonde being so awful to the girl she loved was not something she thought she could handle for much longer. Especially after having heard some of the things she had told her earlier. Apparently, the fight happened because of something Penelope had done, or did not want to do. As if the blonde was not cheating on her or anything.

Josie was really confused. She was really trying distance herself from Penelope’s business but after one day of being here, she already wanted to set a certain someone on fire just for hurting the raven haired girl.

All this uncertainty and confusion was really tiring. She lived with a never-ending internal dilema about everyone she cared about here and they had no idea who she even was.

She walked on constant eggshells to stay unnoticed but at the same time she wanted them to notice her so badly. She just wanted one, just one person to remember her.

Exhaustion got the better of her that night and she fell asleep quickly, witout even hearing Penelope coming back to her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind comments I really love reading them !
> 
> I know I've said I planned on updating weekly but I think you won't argue with the fact that I just really wanna share this story lol
> 
> You can follow me on twitter or tumblr to know when I update, if you have questions about the fic, if you just wanna talk or watch my random Posie breakdowns and judge me (or join me). @gayandnaps on both apps :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Night Terrors/nightmares

It was dark. So dark. She was surrounded by emtpiness, she could feel the darkness around her approaching.

It was so close to her. It was consuming her. Literally.

When she looked down at her arm, half of her hand was already gone and it was spreading. She was becoming the emptiness herslef and no one would ever know, she was all alone in this pit, screaming was no use.

She could just sit there and watch her body disapear forever.

It had spread to her legs and most of her body. It was crawling up her neck. She could feel herself suffocate, she needed to run, she needed to save herself, but how ? Was it too late already ?

In a last effort, she screamed as loud as she could until her mouth got consumed too.

* * *

Josie woke up in cold sweat, out of breath and terrified.

She panted loudly until someone started to speak to her.

" Hey ! You’re okay, just breathe slowly. ", she recognized Penlope’s voice and felt her climbing in her bed. Penelope opened Josie’s bed light to reassure her and took her hand in hers.

Penelope’s presence reassured her and without being able to stop herself she completely broke down in her arms. She did not care about keeping up the act at that moment, she just needed her. By chance, Penelope hugged her back and kept talking to her.

It had happened to Penelope once or twice when they were dating and Josie had done exactly the same for her at the time. It was not the best memory she had of them, but still, it proved that they were there for eachother, at any time.

When she calmed herself down, she slowly detached herself from her ex.

" I’m sorry for waking you up… And for all of that. ", she gestured to the mess she currently was when she was finally able to form a sentence without going back to sobbing incontrollably.

" You don’t have to apologize for anything, everyone has nightmares you know ? And I could not sleep anyway. ", she said before reaching to wipe away a tear on Josie’s cheek.

The brunette froze at the contact. It really felt like a déjà vu, well it was. She knew exactly from when, though. It was from the last time Penelope had touched her before leaving for Belgium, and before telling her she loved her.

" I know. I just- God it’s embarassing I’m really sorry. "

Penelope just chuckled before insisting that it really was not.

" Is it about your family ? ", she asked cautiously.

" No, not really… Kinda… It’s co- "

" Complicated, I know. "

" Yeah. "

" Do you need anything ? ", Penelope asked, not being really sure what to do next.

" No, I'm fine... Thanks. "

" You should try to get some more sleep Jojo, you look exhausted. ", Penelope said, she knew insisting would be useless.

" Jojo ? "

" Yeah, Jojo. ", she smirked before going back to her bed and turning the light off, " Goodnight. "

" Goodnight, Penelope. "

Jojo. She remembered when Penelope had called her that the first time, they were not dating yet and Penelope just loved to annoy Josie. She would always wear that infuriating smirk, and one day, she came up with that nickname.

Josie hated it, which amused her even more. Ironically, it happened just a few days before they finally kissed. Josie had insisted she only kissed her to shut her up but no one believed it, not even herself.

She wished she could go back to those simpler days, where those childish banters and this obvious denial were the only things on her mind.

* * *

Josie and Penelope woke up at the same time and Penelope asked Josie if she wanted to take breakfast with her.

"…You know, to know each other a little better since we’re going to be roommate for the rest of the year and we’ve only seen or spoken to each other when we were… Not in our best shape. "

"Yeah you could say that. ", she chuckled, " But sure. Your girlfriend won’t mind, though ? ", she felt like she had to ask even though saying it phisycally hurt her.

" We broke up yesterday, so no, she won’t and even if she does, it’s not my problem anymore. "

" What ?? Is it because of that fight ? I’m sorry Penelope, I didn’t know. "

" How would you've known ? But it’s alright don’t worry. It was long overdue, and I should have done that sooner. What really worries me, though, is how my parents will react… Espacially my mother. She is the one who introduced us in the first place. "

Josie had met Mrs Park a few times and she was really terrifying. She had spent most of Penelope’s life trying to control her, even when she dated Josie, she had had to hide it from her because she was a siphon. When she found out, Penelope took Josie’s defence, it was the first time she had disobeid her mother and let’s just say it did not sat very well with her. She even tried to break them up at some point.

Eventually, she came around, but it took some time and some effort on her part.

Josie recalled that her relationship with her mother had even improved after that, but now, it seemed that it got lost with the memory of the brunette, somehow.

It made sense after all, none of that happened in their mind and from what she could see, the grasp Mrs Park had on her daughter had even become stronger now.

* * *

After that, they decided to make their way to the lunch room. They were the first to arrive so they picked a random table and continued their conversation.

" What was your fight about yesterday, if you don’t mind me asking ? "

" It's silly, really... "

" It's a good thing I love silly then... "

Penelope looked strangely at her but went on anyway.

" She told me she wanted to enter the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, and I told her I didn’t want to go as her date because it’s archaice and mysoginistic, besides the thing is in months from now and she isn’t even from here. There was really no reasons for her to enter other than the fact that her ego is way bigger than this entire school. I just couldn’t take it anymore so I dumped her. That’s it. "

And yet, she was the one who escorted Josie down the stairs. Until, once again, she royally ruined everything. She had been so dumb at the time… And she knew that now. 

" Well, some people might like it I mean… It’s tradition. "

" Oh please… Not you too ! "

" Relax, I was just kiddi- "

" Hey guys ! Mind if we join ? ", Hope asked, she was accompagned by Lizzie. Josie had not seen them appart for more than 5 minutes since she arrived and, well, let us just say it was ironic considering just last year Lizzie claimed she hated Hope on the regular.

" Sure. ", Penelope smirked deviously before adding, " We were just talking about how Miss Mystic Falls is just another way for the patriarchy to objectify women. "

You could feel Lizzie’s blood boiling, so Josie tried to calm the tension between the two girls.

" I mean, I just think that- "

" What would you know about that, Josie ? ", Lizzie spat.

She obviously failed.

" Don’t talk to her like that just because she doesn’t share your opinions, Saltzman. Besides, you didn’t even enter it last year if I recall correctly… "

Penelope was obviously searching for a fight, which made Josie wonder why Hope had said they were in better terms now.

" Since when does Satan care about anyone but herself ? "

" You know you can drop the nickname right, we’re not 12 anymore. Grow up. "

"Alright that's enough ! Both of you. Can’t we just spend one lunch without the two of you fighting ? And for fuck sake don’t use Josie as an excuse for your childish bickering. ", Hope finally reacted.

" But babe- ", Lizzie looked at her expectantly.

" No buts. "

Lizzie looked like a child who just got grounded and Penelope snickered only to be met with Hope’s angry eyes. She stopped too and the table became awfully quiet.

Josie was not used to those bickerings anymore, and she had not missed them a bit, but she was thankful for Hope because usually she would just get caught in the middle without having a word to say in it.

Eventually, they had to split to go to class. Josie was joined by Maya and they both sat in the back of the class during their first lesson. She noticed Paige a few chairs before her. She was laughing at something her friend had just said.

How she hated that girl… She hated her even more when she noticed that the guy beside her was not just a friend. They were obviously more judging by the way he touched her. That girl had no shame whatsoever, flirting like that with someone who was probably the guy she was on the phone with that first day, just a few hours after breaking up with Penelope.

At some point during the lecture, she over heard her laugh about Penelope. It was silly really, and to predict, especially since she was the one who got dumped but Josie just hated it. She hated her.

Or maybe the problem was not her at all, maybe it was all the anger and frustration she had in her.

Maybe she just needed an excuse for what she was about to do ?

Either way, she touched the table to siphon some magic and then, she recited the words for a spell. At first, nothing happened but then, Paige suddenly got up and asked to go to the bathroom. Her nose was bleeding like crazy and Josie was wearing a proud smirk on her face, she was not sorry in the slightest.

Maybe she could have handled the situation better, maybe not. But at least, now, she felt better, way better. She did not notice Maya looking at her, though.

The lesson started again after the whisperings had finally stopped and everything went back to normal. Well, almost.

* * *

Just before lunch, she got called to Caroline’s office. She perfectly knew why but she was ready to face the consequences of her actions. The only thing the brunette feared was expulsion. Despite what she had told herself about how coming here had been a terrible idea, she knew it was the only place she could have gone to. There was nothing else for her out there, not that she knew of, at least.

She knocked on the office door and she heard her mom call her in.

The blonde woman was surrounded by old boxes and seemed overwhelmed by the number of papers and files in the office, despite her vampire strength. The teenager knew her mom was a control freak so it was quite obvious that she was in the middle of a redecoration/rearranging session in the room.

" Oh Josie, hi ! "

" You called for me ? ", she asked.

" Yeah, actually. But I think we both know why you’re here, right ? ", she sounded much more serious as she got up from where she was sitting.

" Listen, I’m sorry for making her nose bleed I didn’t think it would bleed that much… Also I know it disturbed the class and that we’re not supposed to cast spell on eachother but- "

" What ? ", Caroline looked confused for a second, " Oh right… That… I wasn’t talking about that actually, for now I just want an explanation. "

" About what, then ? ", Josie’s heart started to beat insanely fast.

" Can you tell me why you’re appearing on those pictures I took with Lizzie in Europe last year ? And not just them, by the way, but also all of our family pictures that were somehow hidden until I looked for a few decorations to put in this sad excuse of an office ? "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo...
> 
> This happened I guess. How do you think Josie and Caroline will react ?
> 
> Also I'm excited I'm pretty sure it's the first time I'm doing a cliffhanger like that so uhhh sorry ? (I'm not)


	5. Chapter 5

" I have no idea what you’re talking about. ", was the first answer the teenager could think of.

She reminded herself that if he ever got his memories back, she would have to have a word with MG about what ‘burning her stuff’ meant.

Caroline sighed, " Look, I’m not stupid, alright ? You can tell me everything. Besides, apparently we’re close so just... Tell me. Please. "

Josie breathed deeply, " You may wanna sit down. "

She was against a wall now. She had nowhere to escape, she had to tell her the truth about who she was. 

After all, maybe it would not be so bad to have someone knowing.

What did she have to lose, anyway ?

" It’s alright, just tell me. Please ! ", Caroline was begging her now.

" We were more than close… We were- We are family. ", she corrected herself before continuing, " I’m your daughter. Lizzie’s twin. And I know it may be hard to believe but I swear it’s true… Remember what we told you about Malivore ? And how suddenly the attacks stopped ? It was me. I think I hurt it when I jumped into the pit and now it’s recovering slowly and I’m the only one who knows about this and eveyone forgot that I ever existed and- ", she broke down in Caroline’s arms who had used her vampire speed to hug her.

The smell of her mom surrounded her. That smell she knew and loved. Those arms who finally embraced her again. The warmth that her mom was bringing her. She had missed all of those, and so much more.

" It was so scary, Mom ! ", she cried in her shoulder, while holding her like her life depended on it.

" It’s alright babe, I got you. You’re not alone anymore. ", Caroline told her the words she had longed to hear for so long. Even if she knew she still did not remember her, she believed her and she was treating her like her daughter.

After the hug, they sat down and Josie told her everything. What she thought would happen when she jumped, how she felt in the pit, how she got out only a few days ago. Everything. She also told her about Penelope and why she casted that spell on Paige, and how she thought everyone was better off without her. 

Of course, Caroline did not let her say that. She told her that no one had been better off, they just lived their lives with a missing piece in it. She told her she had felt like something was wrong for months but she did not know why. The woman explained to Josie that being stuck with that feeling was not a good way of life either, they were stuck wondering and worrying for something that they could not find.

After some more explanations on both parts Caroline told her, " I'm gonna call Lizzie, we have to tell her. "

" No ! Please, she already hate me enough right now. I don’t want her to think I’m a liar too… "

" But sweetie, she won’t ! We’ll just tell her everything you’ve just told me, and we will show her the pictures. "

" Please mom… I need some time before telling her… I’m really scared she’ll get mad at me if we do it now. ", she said with pleading eyes.

" Don’t you think it’ll be worse if you wait ? "

" Maybe… I don’t know. "

" Alright Josie, it’s your choice and I’ll respect it but I promise you we’ll find a way to give everyone’s memories back. Go back to your friends, I’m calling your dad and we’ll search for answers together, alright ? "

" Thanks mom… I love you. ", she said while hugging her a last time before leaving the office.

" Me too ! "

" You don’t know that, though. ", Josie told her as a joke, but it was mixed with insecurities.

" Of course I do. I’m your mother. "

* * *

Josie joined Maya and the others at a table for lunch. Even though her problem was not entirely solved, speaking with her mother really lifted a weight from her shoulders. For the first time in months, she felt like she would be okay. She had hope.

Penelope was at the table too and Josie was glad she was there. Not only because she liked spending time with her but also because it meant that she was not with her followers, those minions who used to go everywhere she would go last year. Josie hated them, she never got why Penelope would hang out with them in the first place. They were like the mean girls of the Salvatore School.

" Josie, hey, I saved you a seat. ", Maya told her.

" Thanks ! "

During lunch, Maya and Josie were really close, maybe a little too close for someone’s taste. They kept giggling and joking around. You could see they were getting comfortable around eachother. Even Lizzie noticed how Penelope stayed silence. 

What no one knew, though, was that it was much easier for Josie to create a friendship with Maya than with anyone else at the table, since for her at least, they already had a link. Talking to them and getting to know them was too painful and pretending to discover everything to the first time, too exhausting.

She was constently on the verge of outing herself.

" You okay, Peez ? ", MG asked, a little concerned.

" What ? Yeah, I’m fine. "

Everyone knew better than to insist, but Josie started to get worried. Was the girl feeling down because of the breakup ? Or because of her parents ?

" You guys have heard what happened to Paige ? ", Kaleb asked.

" What happened ? ", Penelope was the first to react.

" Oh yeah her nose started to bleed like crazy in class earlier. Right, Josie ? ", Maya looked at Josie expectantly, clearly waiting for her to tell them she did it.

" Yeah it was… Something else. "

" Hey but aren’t you supposed to know that, as her girlfriend ? ", Kaleb asked Penelope.

" We broke up last night so no, I’m not. ", she said dryly.

That casted a cold on the table, no one knew what to do or say. Were they supposed to act sad ? Because none of them was. 

" We’re sorry for you Peez, are you okay ? ", MG spoke first.

" No you’re not and don’t worry I’m not sorry either. It was long overdue. ", she simply said.

" That’s for sure, she’s the only person I know that’s worse than you. ", Lizzie added.

" Is that acompliment, Saltzman ? "

" Please, I would never. ", she scoffed.

" Come on, I know, deep down, you love me. ", she made a flirty eye contact.

" Someone help her, she’s hallucinating ! "

Their bickering went on for some time until the boys left for class and Hope and Lizzie followed shortly after that.

Josie, Penelope and Maya were left at the table. Since Penelope had kept sending daggers to Maya, the girl kept her attention on Josie, thinking Penelope simply did not like her, which was not entirely wrong, but that made green eyed girl even angrier.

She decided to leave the table soon after that, and she was quickly followed by a worried Josie. The later grabbed her arm because she was not answering when she would call her.

" Wait, Penelope ! Are you… Okay ? "

She just rolled her eyes, " Why does everyone keep asking me that, I already told you, I’m great. "

She was definetely not, but Josie was not able to argue since Penelope turned away and left her, confused, in the hallway.

* * *

She joined Maya to their classroom, since they were finally alone Maya told her she saw what she had done earlier.

" Oh… It’s not… I mean, I didn’t want to- "

" Oh no I don’t care about that, I told you I didn’t like her anyway. I was just curious. You did it because of Penelope, right ? "

" Excuse me ? ", Josie almost choke asking her that.

" I mean, there is some insane tension between the two of you. She kept staring at you earlier and I saw you running after her. So… Did you guys fuck, or something ? ", she asked casually.

" WHAT ? ", she asked a little too loudly, " No we never- why would you think that ? She just broke up with her girlfriend and- ", she argued.

Well, that was not entirely true but she could not explain the whole thing to Maya just because of that.

Unless ?...

No. She needed to get it together.

" Alright, if you say so… You should, though, You’d make a hot couple. "

Clearly, she was trying to kill Josie. Of course they would make a hot couple. Although, that was not the point. She did not even know where this idea came from. Was Penelope staring at her ? Was she staring too much at Penelope ?

" I’m pretty sure she doesn’t like me though… Maybe she was jealous because we seemed close ealier ? "

Well that was just pure non sense, Josie thought. This Penelope was not interested in her in the slightest, and she was surely not jealous because of her.

" For someone so observant, you seem pretty clueless to Rafael attempts at flirting, though ? ", she smoothly changed the subject... Well... Not so smoothly but at least it was a success.

" Don’t remind me… I have to tell the poor guy I’m gay eventually but he just seems so nice… I can’t do that to him just yet… "

" Maybe you should rip the bandhead right away ? Waiting never did any good when it comes to keeping informations from others. ", well that was ironic, coming from her.

" You’re a wise girl, Josette Saltzman. I’ll do it when I see him again. "

" Yeah… ", she chuckled awkwardly. She was clearly not and she knew it. Maybe she needed to tell the truth to someone else… But how could she face Lizzie, Penelope or Hope after telling them this kind of nonsense, they would just think she is crazy. It wasn’t an easy decision to make and considering that only Hope seemed enclined to being nice to her today, she did not know if telling them now was the right time.

" You’re coming ? ", Maya asked. She had been lost in her thoughts once again and now her friend was waiting for her to go inside the classroom.

" Yeah. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to cut the chapter because it was longer than expected but part 2 will come during the week :)


	6. Chapter 6

After class Josie went to see Caroline again, she had missed her mom and right now, she was the only one able to help her.

She knocked shyly and to her surprise, a man’s voice answered. It was her dad.

She entered a nd saw the two of them sitting on a couch, they both got up when they saw her and Josie did not know what to say. Did he knew who she was ? And if so, did he believe Caroline ?

She got her answer when he took her in his arms and kissed her forehead. It felt so good to be able to talk and to hug both her parents without having to pretend to be someone she was not.

The three of them talked for a while and Caroline told her she had already started her researches but so far she had not found anything. Alaric promised he would start too.

" Things will be okay sweetheart. I promise. ", the woman told her. 

Things would be okay. 

It started to feel as if it might be true. She was not alone in her fight anymore.

" Mom ! You’re here ? ", they suddenly heard a voice coming from outside.

Lizzie opened the door and saw Josie between Alaric and Caroline, they seemed to be close, which really confused her. 

Everyone immediately took a step back from eachother, as if it would make everything more convincing somehow. Josie could see Lizzie did not buy it so she excused herself and left the office. Lizzie only stared at her weirdly until she was out.

" Could someone tell me what the hell just happened ? ", she heard from affar. She wished she could…  She really wished. She knew Lizzie, her Lizzie, the one that remembered her, would be mad at her for leaving her like that and sacrificing herself, but also for not telling her she was back right away. As if she could have… Her sister could be complicated but she was the most important person on earth to Josie. That was why telling her the truth about who she was seemed so complicated. She was afraid to lose her even more than what she had already.

At least she had her parents now… Well, not entirely, but it was somehting already.

* * *

To avoid her conflicted thoughts, she immersed herself in her homework. It had always helped her keep her mind out of things, especially things she was trying to avoid. She had no idea what time it was but it was already dark outside. She had skipped dinner because she was not hungry, and she needed to be alone. 

The more she stayed with her friends, the more guilt she felt for not telling them and the fact that her parents knew now made it worse. She knew it was unfair to them, she knew she would like to know if she was them but she could not just go, watch them in the eyes and tell them she had spend the last few days lying to their faces about who she was. How was she supposed to prove it anyway ? It was just too complicated. She had to find a spell to give everyone’s memories back. That was the only way to solve her problem.

She heard the door open behind her so she turned to meet Penelope, she seemed surprised to see her.

" Oh, hi… I didn’t want to bother you. ", she apologized politely before going on her side of the room.

" It’s alright. ", Josie smiled shyly at her.

The entire room was filled with an awkward energy and the fact that they spent the next 40 minutes without saying a word to each other did not help.

That was until Penelope finally decided to speak, " Look, I’m sorry for earlier. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. "

She said that with the same soft voice she had been so used to hear over the months they had been together, and even after that. It was the voice Penelope used only with her, with an hint of shyness and vulnerability. She had always been softer toward her than with others. Josie was the only one with whom she allowed her walls to fall and that was why Josie was confused. The usually so proud and selfish Penelope, the girl who did not care about anyone's opinion was apologizing to her, while she barely knew her ?

" You don’t have to apologize, it’s alright. "

" But I feel like I do though… "

Josie sighed with a soft smile, " Well, apologies accepted. "

" Good. Can you imagine the rest of our year as roommate otherwise ? ", she chuckled.

" I’m tough, I need more than that to be angry at someone. "  


" By the way, why weren’t you at dinner earlier ? "

" Oh… I wasn’t hunry I guess. "

" Well… I brought you an apple in case you are now… ", she got up and put the apple next to Josie’s text book.

" You didn’t have to… "

" I wanted to, take that as a peace offering. "

" But I thought we already made peace ? "

" Yeah well, I forgot about it for a moment I guess… ", she rubbed the back of her neck, " If you don’t want it I can always take it back ? ", and she was back at her teasing self.

" No ! ", Josie yelled like a child who was being teased by a grown-up.

The both of them chuckled, and Josie tried really hard to hide her blush. Even when she did not remebmer her, Penelope could not help but be so… Charming. But Josie was nothing to her at the moment, had she changed that much over the few months they were not together ? Had she suddenly started to do real charity work ? Or was she just like that with Josie, but in that case, why ?

* * *

It was way past midnight and both girl had been in their bed for quite some time now, Josie, as usual, had trouble falling asleep but she noticed she wasn't the only one when she heard whispers.

" Jojo ? "

" Yeah ? "

" Is it weird to feel like I know you ? "

_What is she doing_ ? Josie thought. What game was she playing ? But more importantly, what was she supposed to say to that ? _Of course it is not, you’re the love of my life, you dumbass,_ was not an option.

" I have a common face I guess… ", she tried to laugh it off.

" No you don't... And it's more than your face it's... You, as a person, I mean. The way you talk, the way you laugh, everything. "

" I don’t know what to say Penelope… "

" It’s alright, I suppose I just wanted you to know... Goodnight, Jojo. ", her voice had a sad tone in it, which broke Josie’s heart. She wanted to hug her, to tell her that this feeling was not crazy, that she did know her.

" Goodnight, Penelope. "

Josie felt a tear roll down her cheek while she said that. She hated this feeling, she was powerless.

No. Actually, s he was not. And she knew it. It was her choice not to tell anyone, but it was being harder and harder to defend that choice and to respect it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah lol.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, neither of them mentionned their talk from the night before. They both acted as if nothing had happened and it was for the best, according to Josie.

They joined the others for breakfast and Josie was greeted by Lizzie, who "forgot" to say hi to her before asking, " So what was it all about yesterday, with my parents ? "

Sometimes, she really hated Lizzie’s habits of going straight to the point.

" Can’t you just let the poor girl breathe for 5 minutes, Saltzman ? It’s 7 in the morning for fuck's sake. "

" No, Evil One, I cannot. ", she then turned all of her attention on the brunette again, " So ? "

Everyone’s eyes were on her now. She could tell them the whole truth and be done with it, but she risked losing everyone here. She simply could not. She was not ready to be alone again, to lose them all... Her sister, her friends, Penelope... It was too hard.

" There was a problem with my file, I forgot to give them some paper an- "

" No you didn’t. ", Lizzie scoffed.

No… she did not.

" Alright… Could we not do this now, please ? ", she pleaded. Her nervousness was showing from miles away.

" Fine… But it’s not over Smith… If that’s even your name. "

No one dared to speak after that, not even Pedro who had joined them for once. The poor child really regretted his timing.

* * *

" What do you think attracts Hope in Lizzie ? ", Maya asked Josie during their English lesson.

" What do you mean ? "

" Well, I don’t know how she deals with her on the dayly… The girl is something else… I mean, look how she talked to you earlier ! Who does she think she is ? ", Maya tried to explain.

Josie sighed, she knew her sister was far from what she had seemed to be the last few days, but how would Maya know ? Lizzie was notmaking any effort right now, and she had no reasons too...

" She’s not that bad… "

" She’s worse, you mean ? ", the raven haired girl scoffed.

" No ! I mean, sure, she hasn’t been the nicest to me recently but she has her reasons… "

" Yeah apparently... Although no one knows what those reasons are, not even her. "

She had a point, but Josie was tired of defending this hostile version of her sister, it was not like she could give Maya an entire list of reasons why her twin was the best person she knew.

She was glad her new friend did not try to know what those mysterious reasons were, she had not found a good excuse yet, which sucked since she knew Lizzie would find her and ask her before the end of the day, maybe even before lunch.

She was not mad at her friend for disliking her sister, she had not showed her the best part of herself for now, Lizzie was on her guards and she could appear hostile, to say the least, when she felt like something was wrong. Besides, It was clear Maya had a crush on Hope, no wonders she was trying to find bad sides to Lizzie.

* * *

On her way to her next class, the one right before lunch that she shared with none of her friends, Josie bumped into Caroline.

Apparently, they had asked help from Freya, Hope’s aunt, and she said she would help them.

She was thankful for that, but she wished they would find a solution instead of finding more people to search for it. It made no sense, she knew that, she knew they would have more luck if they were more to search but she was getting frustrated. She knew it was not fair, it had only been a few days, but things were getting complicated.

How much longer could she keep lying to everyone's face ?

" So, are you two going to tell me what’s going on now ? "

They looked at Lizzie, then at eachother. They were trapped. Not even Caroline and her vampire senses had heard her approach them.

" Josie is from your family. ", was suddenly blurted out by their mom.

" What ? "

" Yeah, uhm, from your mom’s side… Your bio mom, I mean. My real name is actually Josie Parker. ", she went along without truly knowing where they would end up.

" What ? But I thought they were all dead ? "

" Me too, but Josie came to see me and she told me everything. I had my doubts at first but your dad made some searches and it turns out she really is your cousin. Isn’t that great ? ", Caroline looked overly enthousiastic, Josie could really tell she was lying and she knew Lizzie would be able to tell too.

" I guess ? ", the teenage girl was had a hard time hidding her confusion. Who could blame her, though ?

" Great ! So I bet you guys have a lot to catch up on, right ? You can talk about it on your way to your next class, huh ? ", she pushed the two girls against eachother and then away from her. She was clearly trying to get rid of them, Josie knew her mom was not the best liar and she wanted to avoid her daughter’s suspicions but it did not mean Josie would handle it any better ! What was she supposed to tell Lizzie ?

" Why lie ? ", was the first thing she heard.

Josie took a deep breath before answering, she was still trying to figure out what to say.

" I’ve always used that name, I guess my dad didn’t want anything to do with our family after all those massacres. To be honest I learned the truth just the day before I came here but I wasn’t sure how you’d take it so I just… Lied. I’m sorry Lizzie, I should’ve told you the second we met… "

" Well… I do hate liars… But I’ve also always wanted a sister so, I guess a cousin will do for now ? ", she smiled at her, " But no more lies, alright ? We're family now and we have to be able to trust eachother. "

Josie’s chest was hurting, she could not believe she had been so foccused on herself that she did not thought for a second how her absence affected Lizzie. They had always been together, they were linked and right now her twin was feeling a hole in her life without knowing why. But with that new lie she had just made up, she could not tell her the truth, no one would believe her. Especially Lizzie, she knew better than to trust someone’s who has changed versions of her life so many times in such a short period of time.

" I promise. "

They walked together to their next class, Lizzie had a lot of questions to ask her and Josie managed to answer most of them without being too suspicious. She hated it, after what had happened with Hope last year, she had sworn she would stop lying to her and here she was, doing exactly that. She was officially the worse sister ever.

* * *

When she joined everyone at the table, Lizzie had saved her a seat next to her and everyone looked at her like she had grown a second head, everyone but Hope who already knew all about this new cousin of hers. She was happy to see her girlfriend happy, even if she still had some doubts on the girl’s story, she would not tell Lizzie.

" So, are you guys besties now or what ? ", Kaleb asked Lizzie for the answer everyone was dying to know.

" Even better, we’re cousins ! ", she seemed so happy about it. Josie could tell her sister had been desperate for someone in her family she could create a bond with. A bond she had missed all those months and even years, from what she remembered. A cousin was far from a twin but it was better than nothing.

Everyone had questions, Lizzie roughly explained what she had been told and they all seemed to accept it. At least her story was more convincing now.

" But you seem so… Normal ? ", Landon told Josie, confused. Lizzie sent him daggers from her side of the table.

Everyone was chatting happily when the headmistress announced that classes were cancelled, most of Hope and her avengers squad were called in Caroline’s office. Josie knew what it meant. The monsters were back, everyone was risking their lives and she could not do anything about it or she would be suspicious, she was not supposed to know a thing about Malivore.

She was left at the table with Penelope and Maya. Again.

" Hey, Jojo ? Do you wanna spend the afternoon together ? Maya too of course… ", yeah of course Maya was welcome too, no doubt on that, " I could show you two the cool spots of the school or something ? "

Josie tried to ignore Maya’s ‘I told you so look’ when she answered, " We have a presentation to work on… But we could do that after ? "

" Sure… "

* * *

The afternoon went by quickly and Josie had been able to avoid all the Penelope allusions Maya made, well, most of them... 

It was 4pm and they were done with most of the presentation so Maya told Josie to go find Penelope, alone, because she clearly sensed that she was not welcome in their ‘little date’, as she called it. Josie’s ‘shut ups’ were clearly not working so she left to joined the green eyed girl.

She found Penelope sitting on a sofa in the hallway, she was reading peacefully. Josie took a moment to appreciate this view before interrupting her. 

" So… What about this special tour you offered ? "

Penelope turned to her and smiled, she put her book down. " So you’re not with that girlfriend of yours anymore ? ", she teased.

Why was everyone so obsessed with her love life today ?

" Don’t be jealous ‘Penny’… "

Penelope looked at her, she feigned to be shocked. " I’m not. You can do whatever you want with whomever you want. "

" I know. "

" Great. "

" Great. "

Josie looked down at the girl. She was trying so hard to seem unphased by everything that it made it so funny. Suddenly the girl got up and gave her hand to Josie, " Shall we go, mylady ? "

Josie wore a proud smile and took her hand gladly. Penelope was joking around and pretended to give Josie a tour, it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen but she loved it. Everyone was out of the school so they were free to act like complete children. She had rarely seen Penelope so carefree before, or not in a long time at least, it was refreshing. For a moment she got to forget her situation and the mess she was in.

Until they almost knocked a certain blonde girl down while ‘visiting’ the hall.

" I see it didn’t take you too long to replace me. ", she spat.

" Weren’t you the one cheating on her, though ? ", they both turned to Josie who had reacted faster than the raven haired girl.

Paige was obviously at a loss of words and instead of fighting back she just turned away, fuming.

The two remaining girls just burst out laughing, they knew it was a serious matter but it was in the past for Penelope and the girl’s face had been priceless.

" Look who’s defending my honor… "

" I just don’t like cheaters and liars. ", once again, how ironic.

" I don’t like them either but I think sometimes, rarely, but sometimes, a lie can be justified. I mean, if it is to protect someone you love. Isn’t that a good enough reason to lie ? ", she told her while they were heading to the gardens.

" I guess… But what if the lie hurts them more than the truth ? "

" I think we’re just humans, it’s impossible to know in advance but if you genuinely think it will help the ones you love, then maybe it is worth taking the risk ? "

It looked like the girl was talking from experience, and she was in a way, but how would she remember that ?

That made Josie understand a little more the train of thought that went through Penelope’s mind last year. She was lost and she had to deal with the knowledge of what the merge would do to the brunette, whom she loved, lying had seemed like the best option at the time. The best one she could find at least.

Josie had understood that a long time ago but hearing it from the girl brought her confirmation. Penelope had thought lying was necessary to protect her, even if she broke both of their hearts in the process.

" Maybe… "

They walked some more until Josie got curious, " So, what are those cool spots you mentionned earlier ? "

" Follow me. ", was all Penelope told her while wearing a mischevious smile. The atmosphere seemed to have lighten up again, and Josie followed her happily. She would follow her anywhere if she asked her to. She would never take the chance of losing her again. Evenif she did not completely have her at the moment, she would find a way. She had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy end of the year everyone, I hope you have a good time if you celebrate anything or if you don't :) 
> 
> I just wanted to let you know that this fic is almost over and thank you to everyone still reading it lol


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter but I think you'll like it (I hope)

" Are we there yet ? Because I’m starting to think this is an abduction… ", Josie told Penelope the same kind of thing she had been told two years ago when the raven haired girl was in her position.

She knew dwelling in the past was not healthy but it was not like she could escape Penelope in that school, not that she wanted to anyway. Their current relationship reminded her of the early hours of their ‘real’ relationship. It was sweet, and Penelope had this way of making her feel special, no matter what everyone else thought of her. She had always been different with Josie, more open and vulnerable.

" You’ll see soon enough, don’t worry. "

Josie knew exactly where they were going. The old mill. It was quite famous amongst the students but they had this special spot in it, right under a hole in the roof where they could admire the stars under, or each other.

* * *

" Tadaa ! ", Penelope exclaimed. She had asked Josie to close her eyes and she guidded her there, to their spot.

Josie pretended to be shocked by the view, the spot was really cool so it was not hard. And she could tell Penelope was proud of it too. She had reasons to, it was comfy and it held something meaningful for them. Even if she did not remember it.

" So… That’s where you bring all your roommates ? "

" Shut up… " , for the first time she could tell Penelope was blushing. It was cute to see her so shy around her.

" So, this is your spot, huh ? How did you find it ? ", she did not but Josie was curious to see how Penelope remembered it.

" It was… On accident ? ", Penelope really seemed unsure and the brunette could tell it was confusing her so she knew not to ask this kind of questions again. It made sense after all, Malivore erased memories but no one said it replaced them with something else, thus the 'hole' in their lives her mother had talked about.

Penelope invited her to sit and when she did, she noticed something engraved in the wood of the mill. It was their initials, the memories of another life that Josie decided to hide by sitting before it. What if Penelope had noticed it too ? She would start asking questions again. Sure, she could just have thought of it as a coincidence but no one knew of this spot besides them, Josie was practically sure Penelope even hid it with magic at some point.

" So, you found your family ? ", Josie looked at Penelope, confused, so she precised " You’re Lizzie’s cousin. "

" Right… Yeah it seems like it. "

" That’s great… "

" You realy think so ? ", Josie arched an eyebrow, clearly amused by the blatant lie.

" I mean… I’m not her biggest fan and she clearly isn’t mine either but to be honest, I don’t even remember where this childish feud came from… She’s not that bad I guess… And since you’re her family now, she’ll warm up to you, you’ll see. ", she tried to reassure Josie, she probably thought that with the few fights they had had in a short span of time, Josie would be anxious about this new found family.

" Yeah, I know. "

They sat in silence for a while, none of them knew what to say or do next. It was still the day so they could not watch the stars, they had not brought any laptop or snacks. They just… Sat there. The atmosphere around them felt heavy and Josie felt relieved when Penelope spoke again.

" You were right, you know ? "

" I know… About what ? ", she tried to keep things light but Penelope was not too receptive to her joke, when Josie looked at her, she was confronted with a pensive green eyed girl, seemingly nervous about what she was about to say.

" I was jealous… Of you and Maya, I mean. ", Penelope was looking down as if she was ashamed. " I know it doesn’t make any sense, we barely know eachother and you don’t owe anything to me… I’m sorry. "

Josie sighed, " Don’t be. "

" I just can’t help being so selfish when I want something… Or someone. ", she looked up at Josie who desperately tried to control her heartbeat. She needed to get it together. Nothing could happen with the raven haired girl, not as long as she did not have her memories back.

" You know, someone once told me this world needs the selfish and the selfless… I happen to be the later. We just need to find a balance, a selfish to our selfless and vice versa. "

She knew she was not supposed to say this kind of thing, that was not the plan, but her mouth just kept going. She did not notice how Penelope had got so close to her, or maybe she was the one who made the first move ?

The next seconds went by in a blur. Everything she was not supposed to do got lost in this sea of green.

She could not control her body either when their mouth met in a sweet and passionate kiss. She had dreamed of doing that for months, all her longing, her fear, her excitment went in that kiss.

She put her hands nervously on the other girl's cheek as if she was a delicate piece of art, she knew she was not supposed to touch it but everything in her screamed to do it.

She felt a wave of fresh air invade her body so she pulled back to meet Penelope’s eyes, they seemed different, like a change had happened during that kiss.

" Jojo ? ", her voice was a mixture of relief, worries and a softness that she had only really heard two or three times before, including that night when she had not been able to make her stay.

Then it hit her, this was her Penelope. The one that knew and remembered her, the one that had done everything in her power to save her, along with her bitchy ways and evil schemes.

" Penelope ? "

The raven haired girl sighed in relief and happiness before fainting. Josie caught her before she hit her head on the hard floor, without really knowing what happened or what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo yeah... Can you tell I used to be a Once Upon a Time stan ? lol
> 
> Next chapter will probably be the last, except if I write an epilogue. I know some of you might be disappointed that this story is so short but this was originally supposed to be a one shot so I didn't want to make it too long. Also I wanted to write a story I knew I would finish and making it shorter seemed like a good idea.


	9. Chapter 9

Penelope woke up in the old mill, she felt a soft material under her head and when she turned to look for Josie, she realized the girl did not wear her jacket anymore. The brunette seemed nervous and lost in her thoughts, she had not noticed Penelope waking up yet. It was all still a little foggy in Penelope's mind, but it was there. She remembered everything.

" How long did I pass out ? ", the raven haired girl asked while rubbing her neck painfully. She was not used to pass out on hard wood, or even at all. She always had good party tricks to prevent this kind of thing from happening. 

Josie’s head rose up immediately, she rushed to her and hugged her as tight as she could.

" Oh my god, I’m so relieved you’re okay… ", she sighed before letting go of her, " It lasted like 10 minutes or something. "

" I see… ", Penelope said, not really caring at this point.

She stared so intensely at Josie, the brunette felt those green eyes could melt her on the spot.

" I’ve missed you. ", she spoke again.

Josie did not say anything, instead she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She was incapable of saying anything, really. All the pressure she had felt was leaving at once, she was finally reunited with Penelope. It was not a dream. It was real. She did not need Penelope to confirm her assumption, a single look at her told her everything she needed to know.

Penelope hugged her again, " You’re okay Jojo. "

The raven haired girl held her until she calmed down and until she knew for sure it was real.

" You couldn’t help yourself, could you ? ", she said at the end of their hug.

" What do you mean ? "

" You just had to jump into that pit… ", she sighed in despair. She wore a tired look that frankly scared Josie since Penelope only ever gave her this look when she lost her, when she had pushed her down her last ressources and made her give up on her.

Not that Penelope would ever give up on Josie, though, but she had felt that way at the time.

" How do you know I jumped ? ", she asked, not denying what she had been told.

" Why else would we have forgotten about you ? I know what the pit does when you fall in it, it was in Hope’s diary. ", she looked at her sternly.

She got up and turned her back on Josie, " Even after I left, you didn’t stop putting yourself second, did you ? ", she sighed, " That’s exactly why I left in the first place, Jojo ! When will you learn that there are people that care about you ! You can’t just do this type of things ! Have you thought about your family ? About your friends ? About me ?! "

The raven haired girl knew it was not fair to the girl but loving someone who did not seem to care about their well being was exhausting. If only Josie could see herself as she did... 

She turned to Josie, Penelope was the one crying now, " I couldn’t bear losing you ! I love you, Josie, with all of my selfish, obnoxious, evil heart, remember ? "

Josie said nothing, she just approached her and hugged her as tight as she could. It was her time to reassure the girl now. She had promised herself that if she was given the chance, she would never make the same mistake, she would not let Penelope go again.

" I love you too. ", their forehead touched and she whispered, " I’m sorry, I just had to do it. Trust me, that was the last time I do something like that. "

" I’m glad to have you back… ", she sighed after calming down.

" You’ll never lose me again, I promise. "

Josie was the first one to close the gap between their mouths, and finally she felt at home again.

* * *

After this reunion, they made their way to the school again. She did not expect anyone to be back from their monster mission yet but apparently, she was wrong. Everyone was there, in fact. She barely came in the building that she heard, " Josette Saltzman, you’ve some got explaining to do ! "

Lizzie rushed towards her and hugged her full force before she could even react, " You freaking abandonned me while I was passed out in that nasty building ! ", she complained during the hug.

" I thought I was supposed to be the reckless hero here… ", Hope emerged from behind her sister.

" You remember ? ", Josie frowned like she never frowned before. How could it be ?

" Everything. ", Lizzie spoke again, " I can’t believe you did that, Jo… You’re lucky I’ve missed you too much to be mad at you right now. "

" Lizzie I’m sorry… ", was all she could say. Her entire body was frozen by shock.

" Yeah you better be. But I was a bitch to you these last few days so I guess we’re even… "

" What she’s trying to say is : Thank you. ", Hope said with a comforting smile and went in for a hug too.

Josie gladly accepted, after all they had been through, Hope was like a sister to her and she had missed her almost just as much as Lizzie. It was weird how they becoming friend with her had taken so long yet felt so natural.

MG, Kaleb, Landon and Rafael came to ‘greet’ Josie properly as well and she spent the next hour catching up with everyone and answering all of their questions. Although, she did not mention the scary, traumatizing parts because she did not want to scare them more than they already were. Most of them had figured it out but they did not mind her silence. They did not want to rush her, they knew she had been through a traumatic experience that none of them could even imagine.

She wanted to spend a happy time with her family, like she used to, without a mention of everything that has been haunting her for months.

She knew getting over the trauma would be hard but she was not alone.

Literally.

Penelope had refused to leave her sight for even a minute since she got her memories back. Not that she would complain about it, but it felt weird compared to her previous state of constant loneliness.

* * *

They were both sitting on one of the couches in the common room, after eveyone had left. Josie had her head on Penelope’s shoulder and the raven haired girl was stroking her hair gently when Maya appeared in front of them. She was acting so shy, Josie could barely recognize her. She felt Penelope stiffen at the girl’s presence, jealousy had always been one of her ‘weaknesses’. Little did she know she had nothing to fear from Maya, or from anyone else. Josie chose her, and she would choose her in a million time.

Josie sensed that she needed to have a conversation with Maya, alone, so she turned to Penelope and asked if she could go make them some hot chocolate.

Penelope seemed hesitant at first, not really okay with the idea of leaving Josie again, even for a few minutes, and even less with the new girl who was already way too comfortable around her in her own taste.

However, it only took Josie’s puppy eyes a few seconds before convincing Penelope. The girl was whipped. Even she knew that, but how could she go against that face ?

" I’m not going anywhere, it’s alright Pen. ", she whispered softly to the girl’s ear before she went on her quest.

" So there was something between you two, huh ? ", Maya chuckled awkwardly once Penelope was out of ear shot.

" Yeah… But she didn’t know that so what was the point of admitting it ? ", she asked to the girl who was now sitting next to her.

" So… Josie Saltzman, huh ? It does sounds better than Smith. ", she attempted to lighten the mood since she could sense the whole Penelope case was sensitive.

" Yeah. It really does… In my defense I had to think of something fast. ", she laughed at her own poor attempt to not seem suspicious.

The brunette decided to tell Maya everything, who she was, even if she had already figured that out, and what had happened. They had only met a few days ago but she felt she could trust her, and she was right. Maya listened carefully to the girl’s story and, oddly enough, she did not seem too freaked out by the whole amnesia giving mud pit who also happened to be Landon’s dad.

" Well that explains a lot… ", she finally told her, " Well, Josie, I’m glad to finally meet the real you. ", she pffered the girl's her hand to shake.

" I hope you’re not too disappointed after finding out the truth. I mean, I’m still the same but I still feel bad for not telling you somehow… ", to be fair, she felt bad for not telling anyone.

" Why would I be ? If you jumping into that thing for your friends, or the number of things you were ready to go through for them are any indication, I’d say you’re pretty dope Josie Saltzman… Crazy, sure. But still dope as fuck... Speaking of people you care about, I think I should leave you guys before she stabs me with her eyes. Literally. ", she chuckled while mentionning Penelope waiting at the threshold of the common room, holding two cups of hot chocolate and looking unimpressed by the girl.

" She wouldn’t… I think. ", she might try but Josie would not let that happen, obviously.

They said a quick goodbye before Penelope joined her former sit next to the girl she loved. They sipped their cup while enjoying the other’s company and feeling contempt for the rest of the evening. Neither Josie or Penelope would trade that for the world, they belonged here, under that blanket on that old couch, with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really said fuck it, Soulmate Kiss™ huh ? 
> 
> That was the last chapter guys, I hope you enjoyed it, I know I loved writing it at least, and I wanted to thank you all for the great feedback/for simply reading my stuff :)
> 
> And happy New Year everyone !


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